Abdominal bandage



March 23 1926.

H. W. WALTER Aanomfijn, BANDAGE Filed Nov. 12 1924 li s-iterated Mar. 23,

HARVEY W. WALTER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ABDOMINAL BANDAGE.

Application filed November 12, 18-24. Serial No. 749,482.

all other purposes for which bandages of this character are or may be used.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an improved form of bandage which affords a greater degree of comfortand relief to the wearer.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the invention, and

Fig. 2 is a like but fragmentary view showing a modified form of the invention.

In proceeding in accordance with the present invention, abelt is employed which is composed of a central portion 1 of braid or cloth or other material. Elastic strips 2 are connected to the ends of the central portion 1 at 8 and in turn are connected to end tapes Or strips 3 at 9, which latter strips are preferably of the same material as that of the central portion 1. The connections 8 and 9 between the parts 1, 2 and 3, may be effected by stitching or lacing or otherwise to removably or detachably connect the parts.

A buckle has its female member 4 secured to the outer end of one of the end strips 3 of the belt and its male member 5 secured to the outer end of the other end strip 3 of the belt. The buckle members are preferably laced to the end strips 3 so as to permit re moval thereof and also adjustment in fitting of the belt to the user. For this latter purpose rows of holes or eyelets 6 are provided in the buckle members and by disposing the tape or lacing in certain of the eyelets, the pull of the belt can be adjusted so that the pressure or pull will be regulated to cause greater pull at the bottom than at the top, as is highly desired, so as to exert corre sponding greater pressure against the lower part of the abdomen. y

A frontal bag 10 is secured to the central portion 3 of the belt on the rear face of the latter and has an open top with a closure flap 11, the latter provided with snap fastenings 12 for the purpose of securing the flap in closed position. The bag is provided with seams 13 so as to divide same into pockets in which pads 14-. are received. These pads may be of any desired shape or material, for example, leather, fibre, rubber, metallic springs, or air or hot water bags, and are employed to exert pressure against the affected part or area. The pads also stiffen the bag and hold same tautor stretched to the full height thereof.

For the purpose of supporting the upper part of the frontal bag so as to maintain same firmly in position inclined elastic tapes 15 are employed which have their upper or inner ends connected to the upper part or end of the frontal bag and have their lower ends connected to the connections 9 between the parts 2 and 3. Similar tapes 16, parallel to the belt are secured at their ends to the central parts of the inclined tapes 15 and to the vertical side edges of the frontal bag at points substantially central of the bag sides.

In Figure 2, a modified form of the invention is depicted and wherein metallic springs 18 are employed in lieu of the elastic tapes 2, and like springs 17 are interposed between the lower ends of the tapes 15 and the ends 3 or the belt.

Generally speaking, abdominal bandages are divided into two classes. One class is composed exclusively of cloth, stays, lacings and elastic tape or elastic cloth; and the other class consists of a metal pad, covered on the outside with leather and on the inside with cloth or chamois skin. In this latter style bandage the metal pad fits over the al domen, with strong still metal arms covered with leather, extending partly around the waist and terminating in humps about an inch and a quarter in thickness, with one of these humps resting on, and tightly gripplng, each hip. These humps sometimes cause sore spots. The entire bandage is severe, and too thick and cumbersome to allow the wearing of a corset over it.

The objections to the first mentioned class (the cloth bandage) are that sometimes the stays work through the cloth and bruise the flesh; and, particularly, hat the lacings, fitting loosely in the eyelets in the rear part of the bandage, give, and exert the same pressure (in front) on the upper part of the abdomen (where the pressure should be slight) as it exerts against the lower part of the lit) abdomen, Where the pressure should be great. Corsets cannot usually be Worn over this style of bandage either, for the same reasons stated in the foregoing. It is difficultto thoroughly Wash and cleanse this style bandage, as well as the metal pad style By detaching the tapes 15 and 16 and bag 10 it Will be seen that the belt can be employed as a sanitary belt.

What is claimed is:

1. In an abdominal bandage, a frontal bag having an open top with a closure flap therefor, a belt composed of an inelastic fabric central part, extending across the front face of the bag adjacent the lower portion of the latter, elastic parts connected to the ends of the central part of the belt, inelastic fabric end parts connected to the ends of the clastic parts of the belt, fastening means for said end parts of the belt, inclined members connected at their upper ends to opposite sides of the bag at the top of the latter and connected at their lower ends to said end parts of the belt, other members disposed substantially parallel to the belt and connected at their ends to central parts of the inclined members and to the respective opposite sides of the bag, and pads in the bag.

2. In an abdominal bandage, a frontal bag having an open top with a closure flap therefor, a belt composed of an inelastic fabric central part, extending across the front face of the bag adjacent the lower portion of the latter, elastic parts connected to the ends 01": the central part of the belt, inelastic fabric and parts connected to the ends of the elastic parts of the belt, fastening means for said end parts of the belt, inclined members connected at their upper ends to opposite sides of the bag at the top of the latter and connected at their lower ends to said end parts of the belt and a pad in the bag.

In an abdominal bandage, a belt, a frontal bag secured at its lower part to the central part of the belt, pads relatively short in the bag, inclined elastic supports connected to the top part of the bag on opposite sides of the latter and connected to the belt, and elastic supports of less length than that of the inclined supports arranged substantially parallel to the belt and connected to central parts of the inclined supports and to opposite sides of the bag at points intermediate the top and bottom of the bag.

l. In an abdominal bandage, a body-encircling belt formed of a series of separable alternating elastic and inelastic sections, a bag secured at its lower part to the central part of said belt, pads in the bag and late ally disposed interconnected elastic strips connecting the sides of the bag With the belt to support said bag.

In an abdominal bandage, a belt formed to completely encircle the users body, a frontal bag secured at its lower part to the central portion of the belt, means to connect the ends of the belt together, means connected to the opposite sides of the top part of the bag extending down to the belt and means connected intermediate the ends of the bag and the ends of the second mentioned means to support the said top part of the bag.

In testimony whereof, I aifix my signature.

- HARVEY W. WALTER. 

